Listed Building record MDO14723 - Parish church of St Andrew, Yetminster

(ST 59441064) St Andrew's Church [NAT]. (1)

Parish Church of St Andrew. Chancel late C13th, nave, aisle and West tower are mid C15th. Restored 1890.

Grade I.

Ordnance Survey, 1:2500 scale, 1974 (Map). SWX1197.

(ST 59441064) St Andrew's Church [NAT]

Le Pard, Gordon, 1998, Medieval sundials in Dorset. Proceedings of the Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society 119, 70 Fig 1.8, 85-86 (Article in serial). SDO21411.

<1> Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, 1952, An Inventory of Historical Monuments in the County of Dorset, Volume I (West) (Monograph). SDO97.

‘(1) PARISH CHURCH OF ST. ANDREW stands at the S. end of the village. The walls are of local rubble with dressings of Ham Hill and other local stone and the roofs are lead-covered. The Chancel was built c. 1300; a consecration is recorded in 1312. About the middle of the 15th century the rest of the church, consisting of the Nave, North and South Aisles, West Tower and North Porch was rebuilt. The church was restored in 1890 and in more recent years.
Architectural description—The Chancel (33¼ ft. by 14¼ ft.) has an E. window of three pointed lights, partly of c. 1300 but reset and much restored. In the N. wall are two partly restored windows of c. 1300, each of two lancet-lights; the doorway is of the same period but the head is modern. In the S. wall are two windows uniform with those in the N. wall. The mid 15th-century chancel-arch is two-centred and of two moulded orders, with responds of nearly the same section, moulded bases and capitals carved with paterae and a rose; above the arch are two blocked windows each of one four-centred light.
The Nave (40 ft. by 14 ft.) has mid 15th-century N. and S. arcades of three bays with moulded two-centred arches similar to the chancel-arch; the piers have each four attached shafts, separated by wide hollows and with moulded bases and capitals; the latter have carved paterae or foliage on the N. arcade and small grotesque beasts on the S. including geese hanging a fox; the responds have attached half-piers; the arcades retain remains of blue and red colour in bands.
The North Aisle (8¼ ft. wide) is of mid 15th-century date with an embattled parapet. The E. window is of four trefoiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals. In the N. wall are two windows uniform with that in the E. wall but the western much restored; the N. doorway has moulded jambs and two-centred head; near the E. end of the wall and high up is a blocked window of one four-centred light.
The South Aisle (8½ ft. wide) is generally similar to the N. aisle but the S. doorway has a square moulded label with returned stops and high up over the eastern window in the S. wall are two blocked windows each of one four-centred light.
The West Tower (13 ft. by 12¾ ft.) is of mid 15th-century date and of three stages with an embattled parapet, pinnacles and gargoyles (Plate 3). The two-centred tower-arch is moulded, the outer and inner members being treated as shafts on the responds, with moulded bases and capitals; there are remains of spiral bands and cheverons in colour. The partly restored W. window is of five cinque-foiled lights with vertical tracery in a two-centred head with moulded reveals and labels; the W. doorway has moulded jambs, two-centred arch and label continued from the top members of the plinth. There is a modern gallery in this stage. The second stage has, in the N. and S. walls a window of one square-headed light. The bell-chamber has, in each wall, a window of two cinque-foiled lights with tracery in a two-centred head with a moulded label and beast-head stops.
The North Porch is embattled; the 15th-century two-centred outer archway is moulded, the inner member being treated as a shaft, on the responds, with moulded capital and base.
The Roof of the nave is of the 15th century, partly restored, of trussed-rafter type and of barrel-form with moulded braces at intervals forming six bays, moulded purlins and bosses at the intersections carved with foliage, a double rose and a horse's head; there are remains of colour including cheverons in black and white. The partly restored 15th-century pent roof of the N. aisle is of three main bays with moulded principals and curved braces springing from attached stone wall-shafts with moulded capitals and bases; each bay has four subdivisions with foliage-bosses at the intersections; the rafters are painted with the crowned initials Ihs in black on a white ground, alternating with white and red stars on discs; the central purlin is painted with cheverons, flowers and spiral bands. The roof of the S. aisle is similar but retains much less colouring; the central boss has a double rose.
Fittings—Bells: six; 2nd probably 1670 and by Thomas Purdue; 3rd, by William Warre, 1595; 4th, 15th-century, Bristol foundry, and inscribed "Ora mente pia pro nobis Virgo Maria"; 6th, by Robert Wiseman, 1608, with roundel bearing the ox of St. Luke. Brackets: In nave—on E. responds of arcades, two moulded brackets with foliage-ornament, 15th-century. In N. aisle—in N.E. angle, moulded bracket on carved half-angel, probably late 14th-century reset. Brass and Indent: Brass: In S. aisle—on S. wall, to John Horsey, 1531, and Elizabeth (Turges), his wife, figures of man in enriched armour and woman with pedimental head-dress, ten scrolls and two shields-of-arms, (a) Horsey quartering Malbank and (b) the same impaling Turges. Indent: In tower—very worn but retaining traces of side standards and canopy, possibly 15th century. Clock: In tower—wrought-iron frame and part of mechanism with brass plate recording the maker and date, Thomas Bartholomew of Sherborne, 1682, and the names of the churchwardens, restored in 1897. Communion Rails: with turned balusters, with moulded rail and heavier turned posts to gates, early 18th-century, gates modern. Consecration Crosses: Ten formy crosses in sunk round panels on external wall-faces as follows— on chancel, on N.E. and S.E. buttresses and on jambs on N.W. and S.W. windows; on N. aisle, on jamb of N.W. window; on S. aisle, on buttress W. of S. doorway; on tower, on four buttresses; 15th-century. Font: octagonal bowl with rim, concave under-side, octagonal moulded stem and hollow-chamfered base, 15th-century, built into S.W. pier of nave. Glass: In chancel—in N.W. window, two fragments with crowns, 15th-century. Monuments and Floor-slabs. Monuments: In chancel—on S. wall, (1) to Robert Bridle, 1780, white and coloured marble wall-tablet with side brackets and cornice with cartouche containing arms; (2) to Arthur Cosens, 1810, High Sheriff in 1807, black and white marble wall-tablet with cornice, urn and shield-of-arms. In N. aisle—on W. wall, (3) to Bridgett (Browne), wife of John Minterne, 1649, painted stone wall-monument (Plate 19) with kneeling figure of woman at prayer-desk, coupled flanking Corinthian columns supporting an enriched entablature with an achievement and two shields-of-arms on the cresting. In tower—on S. wall, (4) to William, infant son of William Taunton, 1691–2, slate tablet with enriched stone border and cherub-head. In churchyard—N. of church, (5) to Ann (Daw), wife of Joseph Barber, late 17th or early 18th-century, table-tomb; (6) to Henery Kaines, 1694, Mary (Barber), wife of Robert Turner, 1690, and to Mary, daughter of Robert Turner, table-tomb; (7) to Thomas Miller, 1691 (?), table-tomb; (8) to William Applyn, 1610–1, table-tomb; (9) to Thomas Keate, 1682, also to Susanna, wife of Samuel Keate and their daughter, 1691, and Samuel Keate, 1731, table-tomb; (10) to Henry Stone, 1614, and Thomas Stone, 1696, table-tomb; (11) to Alice, wife of Thomas Stone, 1649, table-tomb; (12) to Andrew Mayhew, 1625, table-tomb. Floor-slabs: In chancel—(1) to John Reynolds, vicar, 1714; (2) to Joanna, daughter of Arthur Cosens and Martha, his wife, 1747, and other children later. In tower—(3) to Mary, daughter of James Fisher, 1622–3, and James son of James Fisher, 1637. Niches: In N. porch—over N. doorway of nave and in E. wall, recesses with pointed heads, 15th-century. Piscina: In S. aisle—in S. wall, recess with pointed head and octagonal drain, probably 15th-century. Plate: includes cup of 1571 with band of engraved ornament, a cover-paten probably of the same date and a paten of 1752 given by Ann Floyer in that year. Seating: In nave—six full-length pews and four half-length, the former with square moulded ends except one poppy-head; the latter all with shaped ends and poppy-heads, 15th-century, partly restored. In tower—two coffin-stools with turned legs and enriched rails, 17th-century. Stoup: On buttress W. of S. doorway, recess with rounded head, probably stoup. Weathercock (Plate 54): with rounded body of copper, gilded, 18th-century. Miscellanea: In S. aisle—in W. wall, stone base of font with bases for central and four attached shafts, early 13th-century. In N. aisle—in N. jamb of E. window, fragment of alabaster "table" with two draped figures, 15th-century. Loose in church, previously in churchyard—N. of tower, upper part of cross-shaft (Plate 211), two sides cut back (about 10½ in. by 9 in. originally), 2 ft. 6 in. tall, top part rectangular to round or oval, remaining sides each with nimbed bust under arch and interlacement below, perhaps 10th-century. In rectorygarden—small bowl probably of stoup, octagonal with quatrefoil on each face.’

<2> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24696 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the north wall and tower of St Andrew's Church, Yetminster, from the north-east

<3> Historic England, Historic England Archive, OP24697 (Index). SDO14738.

A view of the south wall and tower of St Andrew's Church, Yetminster, from the south-east

<4> Newman, J, and Pevsner, N, 1972, The Buildings of England: Dorset, 504 (Monograph). SWX1290.

<5> Department of the Environment, 1986, List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest: Dorset (Parishes of Beer Hacket, Chetnole, Leigh, Leweston, Lillington, Longburton, Ryme Intrinseca and Yetminster), 53 (Scheduling record). SDO16449.

<6> Aston, Michael, and Lewis, Carenza (eds), 1994, The medieval landscape of Wessex, 46 (Monograph). SWX1296.

<7> National Record of the Historic Environment, 883062 (Digital archive). SDO14739.

Record last edited

May 1 2025 12:24PM